Finding Love: A Gaara Fanfic
by Laced with Cyanide
Summary: When a young chunin from Mokuzai is stranded in Sunagakure, she meets the Kage, from there a romance blossoms, But is it meant to be...?
1. Peace

Please rate and comment, I will have the next chapter up as soon as possible.

- Chenoan

* * *

1. Peace

The world around me seemed to fly past me.

But I suppose that was normal when running roughly at fifty kilometres an hour.

I concentrated on where I was going. Today was my first mission as a Chunin and I _wasn't_ going to stuff it up. My team mates followed closely behind me, their footsteps barely audible, their footsteps impossible to hear unless you were listening for those footsteps just like a ninja's should be. The world around me was nothing more than a yellow blur of desert, the only thing I let myself see was our destination a few kilometres away, Sunagakure.

As we neared the entrance to the desert city I saw our guide, a man in a full black body suit and purple face paint. As we slowed to a halt in front of him he walked up to meet us, his face showing a large, welcoming smile. I bowed deeply,

"We are the team from Mokuzaigakure (village of the wood), pleased to meet you," the man nodded, his smile having faded somewhat to a neutral expression. His eyes scanned the newcomers,

"I'm Kankuro, I'm a Junin in this village, pleased to meet you all," he said formally,

"I'm Yuri, these people are my team, Kaien and Ai"

"You have something to deliver I believe?"

"Uh…yes an envelope containing the peace treaty between our two villages"

"I see, would you prefer to give the treaty to me or to the Kazekage himself?"

"My orders were to deliver the treaty personally, sir"

"Sure, sure," Kankuro didn't seemed pleased with this idea, he seemed very irritable, he probably didn't want the job of being the guide to a bunch of young Mokuzai.

I followed silently, I could feel my team mates presence behind, their heads turning about in wonder, this was their first time in Sunagakure, mine also, but I managed to restrain myself. Kankuro walked fast, his stride long and difficult to keep up with with just my normal pace so I found myself half walking half jogging. I caught the attention of a few towns people, they giggled at my funny stride. Kaien and Ai had no trouble keeping up with Kankuro, both of them being at least one head taller than me, I was the shortest in the group, yet their leader, which must be a comical idea to anyone who looked on at this embarrassing moment. I could feel the town peoples eyes on us, their eyes on me in particular. A blush rose to my cheeks, impossible to suppress.

I looked up, attempting to hide the blush, I didn't expect that I would meet the eyes of a man up there. He stood looking down on our group from the tall building above us through a glass wall with a neutral expression on his face, his light aqua eyes seemed to stare right through me. My blush deepened in colour and I saw the corners of his mouth curve upwards before I snapped my head back down and looked straight in front of me at Kankuro's back.

The wind was picking up and it whipped a portion of sand against my bare legs painfully, I didn't wince, the pain was minimum, but it left a mark, I could feel it. We walked towards the large glass paned building where I was caught blushing by the aqua-eyed man just a moment ago, I prayed that I wouldn't meet that man while I was in there, even though it was a simple blush, it was something I could do without.

A woman looked up from the reception desk as the doors slid open, seeing Kankuro she looked back down calmly. Kankuro must visit the Kazekage often. We were led down a corridor where we took a left fifth door on the right, which led us down another corridor where we then took a left again which opened to a room that held a flight of stairs. If I had struggled so much to keep up in the corridors I would find it much more difficult on the stairs.

As I jogged up the several flights of stairs just behind Kankuro, we were led into one last corridor where we walked to the very end door. Engraved on a gold plate was the word "Kazekage." I breathed in, I had never met a kage or anyone of that high a rank other than the Mokuzaikage in my own village, the idea made me nervous. Kankuro knocked on the door,

"Enter," called a calm voice, and we did just that. Kankuro opened the door to show the Kazekage in all his glory, on seeing him my body stiffened.

His hair was a deep red, framed by the light that came in from the windows behind him, his skin was a pale peachy colour, his eyes were ringed in black and on his forehead, to one side, there was a black marking of the word "love," and his aqua eyes seemed to stare straight through me. He nodded,

"I am Gaara of the sand, pleased to meet you," she walked up to him and bowed deeply, no sign of embarrassment showed. Kaien and Ai followed suit, bowing synchronistically just as I had finished, as though they practiced it, maybe they did, I might have to ask them about that later,

"I am Yuri and these are my subordinates Kaien and Ai," Kaien flinched at the word "Subordinate" he still hadn't gotten used to the idea that I was his superior, "we have come from Mokuzai to deliver this treaty that will declare peace between our villages."

Reaching into my bag I pulled out an envelope, the brown seal of Mokuzai stood out on the white paper. The man with the Aqua eyes had an amused expression on his face as he took the envelope from my hands. Tearing open the letter he pulled out a pen and signed the treated without hesitation, he hand the treaty back to me and I took it, placing it carefully back into my bag. I smiled gently and bowed again,

"Thankyou for you co-operation, Gaara-sama, we will leave immediately," I was just about to turn and leave when he spoke,

"You cannot leave," he said coolly, he looked at my legs, "did you not feel the wind whipping the sand around? A sandstorm is coming," the welts on my legs suddenly began to throb slightly as I acknowledged their presence, I heard Kaien's deep voice whispering in my ear,

"Come to think of it, the villagers seemed to be packing up as we were walking passed," I looked behind Gaara and through the window, the stalls were emptied of all merchandise and the streets were scatter with may three or four rushing people, I looked up and in his Aqua eyes, they were such an odd colour, they were almost hypnotizing to look at, he looked back with that same placid expression,

"You will stay here tonight, your village will know there's a sandstorm, they know that when the wind picks up like this it means a sandstorm for our village." There was no arguing with him. I was desperate to leave the Kazekage's piercing gaze, but there was obviously no way.

He looked at me waiting for a response,

"It would appear there is no other option than to stay for a while"

"The storm will undoubtedly last a few days, you may stay in the guests quarters until it subsides," I bowed again,

"thank you Gaara-sama," he smiled at me, and I smiled in return, the action seeming natural, we were like that for a good minute before I realised Kaien and Ai staring at me in confusion, this must have seemed odd to them, for it usually takes me months to act this warmly towards anyone. I turned around to face Kankuro, who was also staring, but not at me, at Gaara, his face was set in such an odd expression, it was difficult to interpret.

I cleared my throat and Kankuro turned to me, using the same expression for me as he did Gaara. He cleared his throat and reverted back to a neutral expression,

"Uh, follow me, please, um…"

"Yuri," I reminded him.

To be continued...

* * *

By Chenoan

©All original Naruto characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto


	2. Waiting

This is just a bit of character development, and romance introduction.

Please rate and comment, I will have the next chapter up as soon as possible.

- Chenoan

* * *

2. Waiting

Kankuro was much quieter on the walk out.

Not that he wasn't quiet before but now you couldn't so much as even hear him breath.

And if it hadn't been for the tall black clad figure that walked with speed in front of me I wouldn't have noticed him at all, not a good thing at all for a Ninja. Maybe it had something to do with the way he was looking at the Kazekage earlier? But what was it about?

Kankuro turned his head to look at me, and our eyes met, my mind froze for a minute, I hadn't realised how intently I was staring at him, how much I was over thinking the subject. He snapped his head back to the front and I forced myself to stare at the white tiled floors below me.

The Kazekage had seemed nice, he had signed the truce so fast that the act seemed so sincere. He had warned us about the sandstorm, when most Kage's would be apprehensive towards inviting Shinobi from other villages to take residence under the same roof as themselves. He seemed like such an honest and genuine character, and irritation welled up in side of me knowing that his first impression of me was that of a short, bumbling idiot blushing at him.

Kankuro stopped and I almost ran into him, I was thinking about events too much today. I looked around from where we stopped, There was a sliding door which I assumed led to the guest bedrooms. Damn it! I thought, in my reverie I had forgotten to watch where we were going, even if this was now allied territory, I didn't feel comfortable being lost in a foreign place. Kankuro slid opened the doors and gestured for us to enter, and we did.

Inside was a much smaller corridor which had, at least, ten rooms, the walls of these rooms were made of rice paper, reminding me of my own, modest home back in Mokuzai. Kankuro opened one of the doors, gesturing for Kaien to enter,

"This will be your room," he said to him, and then turning to Ai he said, "that will be your room next door, and over there will be your room Yuri-san," I bowed lightly,

"Thankyou for your generosity," he smiled a little at this,

"Hey, it's not my generosity," with that he left, closing the sliding door behind him.

- - - - - - - - - -

I'd been sitting in my allocated room for at least four hours now, around me was nothing but rice paper wall and a brick wall on the opposite side on my door and a matt for me to sleep on, In this bland room there was not even so much as a window to occupy me. I could hear Ai and Kaien's conversation through the walls their voices loud and cheerful, their voices would go quiet for a few moments every once in a while, their voices replaced with the hissing sounds of their whispers.

I'd known for quite some time the relationship between Kaien and Ai, sometimes, on missions, they'd both disappear as I "slept" and return minutes or even hours later, one time I had even followed them, and saw them making out, man did that disturb me. You see, Kaien is my brother, though he came from a different mother, our father is the same, his mother had replaced mine when mine had passed away. He was born a month before me though, the story was very complicated, and I wasn't in the mood to contemplate the messed up cycle that is my family story.

Ai, on the other hand, had been my friend since junior Ninja training, we had met during class and never looked back. Before Ai, I had been an isolated child, my father feared letting me socialise, worried for my health after a traumatic experience I had earlier my life, I've long forgotten that experience, and I'm not sure whether or not that is a good thing or not. Ai was the first person to bring me out of my shell, she had always been there for me, she was my best friend.

But since Kaien and Ai had begun their "secret" romance, I had been secluded from a lot of both of their lives, and considering they are the only two people I do get along with, the past year or so has been a lonely one.

I began to pick a loose stitch out from my sleeve, the thing keeps on unravelling as I pull it out, and I can see my sleeve begin to fall apart so I reach for my kunai and cut the piece of string off, I smiled to myself, finding that my tedium has led to the destruction of my sleeve and the improper use of my kunai. Slowly I place the kunai back in it's holder around my hip, Then the door slides open.

I drop the piece of string that I was holding, it swims downwards gracefully before it touches the ground. Our eyes meet, my body stiffens and it takes every bit of effort I can muster to not look away bashfully. His light aqua eyes seem to pierce me, he smiles shyly at me, in his hands are two clay bowls, I smile back, not sure what to say, but what can you say when the Kazekage stands in your doorway holding two servings of food?

I heard the door slide open in the room next to mine where Kaien and Ai talked, their conversation stopped, footsteps and then I heard them thanking the person for their food. I looked back at Gaara and smiled, he smiled back, unsure what to do,

"Come in," I said, he took a few steps inside, closing the door behind him, Kankuro walking passed as he did so, that same look from earlier sat on his face. Gaara passed me the food; rice with some kind of fish.

I looked up at him, I was still sitting and he stood over me, the moment had become awkward and I forced a smile on my face,

"I was wondering if I could eat with you," he said, his voice cutting through the silence like a knife. I patted the floor next to me, unsure of what else to do. He sat down next to me, and I turned to face him. We began to eat and at first there was nothing but silence,

"What brings you here Gaara-sama?" he looked at me , surprised that I was speaking,

"I…was just in the mood for some company to eat with tonight," his face was composed, even though a smile sat on his face, I wasn't sure whether to ask further, I looked at his face, he was eating away, I took a mouthful, when he was finished I swallowed then spoke,

"What was so appealing about my company?" he lowered his bowl slightly and looked at me,

"I don't know," he looked back at his food, "you interest me, I think," I smiled, wanting to go further,

"What is it about me that interests you?" he fidgeted nervously where he sat. I knew I had gone a little too far,

"Never mind…"

"No…" he said, "I'm just not sure what it is, you just, appeal to me" I blushed, he smiled, knowing that he had said the correct thing,

"um, thanks," I said shyly.

He put down his half empty bowl and moved closer, my eyes widened as he touched my arm, I closed my eyes as he ran his fingers across the inner area of my arm,

"What happened to you sleeve?" I blushed,

"Uh, um, I…pulled out a loose string," I smiled an embarrassed smile, that feeling I just got, what was it? He looked at me quizzically,

"Why?"

"I just…did," I answered, he looked into my eyes, his face only a few inches from mine, my face moved forward slightly then I stopped it, I will not do that, I told myself, I am on a mission, my _first_ mission as a Chunin and I _wasn't_ going to stuff it up.

I began to slowly move my head backwards, away from him, but then he nudged the back of my head, pushing me forwards, I didn't resist, his face was set in a serious expression and he moved closer, slowly closing the gap between us, I closed my eyes, counting down,

three...

two...

one...

To be continued...

* * *

By Chenoan

©All original Naruto characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto


	3. Suppressing

Third chapter in one day, gotta love the weekend(;D) though the first one was created at two in the morning, so I dont suppose it counts.

Please rate and comment, I will have the next chapter up as soon as possible.

- Chenoan

* * *

3. Suppressing

-Recap-

…I didn't resist, his face was set in a serious expression and he moved closer, slowly closing the gap between us, I closed my eyes, counting down,

three...

two...

one...

* * *

The clay bowl dropped from my hands.

The sound sent me flying back into reality, sent me back into painful reality.

One more millimetre and our lips would touch, but I pulled away, my mind working a mile a minute, everything coming back to me, the mission, becoming a Chunin, the responsibility, the consequences of becoming involved with a Kage from another village, the shame, the breaking of unwritten laws, the complications, the possibility of being dismissed from my role as Chunin, these were all outcomes I did not wish to face.

I crawled across the room, heart pounding, thoughts racing, I leant against the brick wall, and looked at Gaara, his face was controlled, no emotion tainted his perfect face. He grabbed his bowl and stood up, without a word he opened the door and stepped out,

"I'm sorry," I called after him, he stopped and looked at my distressed face, he furrowed his eyebrow-less brow and slid the door shut.

There I sat, my tears falling silently, wiping them away I walked over to the clay bowl. I had eaten quite a bit, but there was still rice scattered on the floor, I scooped the pieces up and put the rice in a pile, the stacked shards of clay next to it. I tucked myself into my futon, my head felt heavy, I hadn't cried in some time.

- - - - - - - - - -

I woke at about four, I desperately tried to get back to sleep, but my body clock disallowed me. At this time during the day I would usually begin training, but today I wouldn't. The entire world was silent, I despite being near no outside wall, I could hear the wind whipping against anything that stood in it's way.

I stood up, uncertain of what to do next, the rice next to me was now gone along with the shards, I wondered vaguely who collected them, had it been Kankuro, or Gaara? Or someone else completely? I looked at the wall that hid Kaien from me, wondering if he was awake. Then I saw it, a hole in the wall, a small finger hole through the rice paper that anyone on that side of the wall could look through. My anger grew, Kaien had been spying on me, or was it Ai? Maybe both.

I ignored it for now, but someone would pay eventually. Then I thought about Gaara, about the feelings I felt when I spoke with him last night, the feelings I felt when I almost…

My brain was working a mile a minute, how would I go about being involved with a Kage of the sand and being a Shinobi of the wood? How would I prevent my village finding out that I was with a Kage? Did it really matter? Without any conscious thought I slid the door open and wandered out of the room. I walked out the door and looked around, where was I going exactly? I heard a cough, it echoed throughout the corridor, my instincts told me to go back inside, but for some reason I made my way to the origin of the sound.

My body shook violently, my fear rose, if I was caught then what would I do? I had no excuse to be walking around at four in the morning, I would look like an intruder, a spy. What would I say? The truth? that I felt like being in the company of the Kazekage at four in the morning? Of course not. My common sense took over once again, and I turned around, running back to the rooms. In my rush to return, I forgot to keep track of all the doors, and I could no longer place our rooms.

I was lost.

I turned around once again, the cough repeating itself. I chased the sound, all I needed now was an excuse for being out this late at night.

"hello?" I called softly, the sound echoing,

"Who is it?" the voice was Kankuro's,

"Kankuro?" I called back,

"Yuri," this time the voice wasn't Kankuro's. I didn't dare reply, I couldn't my heart was pounding far to fast, my voice wouldn't come, as if something was stuck in my throat.

Fire lit the corridor, there was Kankuro, holding the torch, his face full of surprise, they were walking towards me, their faces look menacing from the way the fire played on their faces. They were only a few metres away now, and it took every ounce of strength I had to take those few steps to greet them. To greet those aqua eyes that seemed alive in the firelight.

Gaara's chest was right in front of my face, I couldn't look up to meet those eyes, I couldn't no matter how much I wanted to. I was so close to him I could smell him, a kind of strong sandy smell, like he'd been rolling in the desert for hours. For the first time I realised how very tall Gaara was, standing next to him, his height was intimidating. I bowed, forgetting how close Gaara was, my head knocked his chest,

"Uh…sorry, Gaara-sama," I looked up, my face anxious, but I forgot about those piercing eyes,

"What are you doing up?" asked Kankuro,

"I…I'm always up at this hour…to train usually"

"Then why are you wandering around?" his voice was edged in irritation,

"I…I was wondering, whether there is a bathroom…that I may use," it wasn't a lie, I hadn't gone to the toilet in a good three days, I'd been enduring a full bladder for quite some time, Kankuro laughed.

"You create all this suspicion and irritation simply to pee?"

"Uh, kind of," again not a lie.

"Would you like to bathe while you're at it?"

"Uh, if it's not too much trouble," I was surprised by how well this was going,

"Actually it is, but at least you'll be out of our hair," Kankuro took my arm and led me away, but then something caught my other arm,

"Gaara…" Kankuro looked at Gaara quizzically,

"I'll do it," said Gaara, "Kankuro, you have other duties to attend to"

"I could just go and get another person to do it, you don't have to waste your time"

"I don't mind, I'd prefer to do it rather that wake others."

Kankuro let go of me, though I could tell he didn't want to leave me alone with Gaara. Once Kankuro had left, Gaara let go of my arm, he looked at me, his face expressionless,

"follow me," he said in a monotone, I did. Gaara led me down the corridor where we reached the end door, he opened it for me and followed me inside. Inside was a hot spring, the spring was divided by a wall, one side was for women, the other for the men.

Gaara handed me a towel and took one for himself,

"The bathroom is over there," he said, pointing to a door across the room,

"Thankyou," I said, sprinting for it.

- - - - - - - - - -

After relieving myself I stripped and fell into the spring water. The water felt like heaven on my body, and as I leaned against the wall I could feel the past week of dirt fall off my skin. A woman came in and took my clothes,

"What are you doing?" I asked her, suspicious,

"I'm the cleaner," she said, smiling, "Here's a robe for the time being, I'll deliver your clothes once they have been cleaned," I was still suspicious but Gaara didn't complain when she took his clothes.

Gaara…

Gaara was on the other side of this wall, and I wanted to be with him so much, but of course, common sense overtook once more, I couldn't be with him. I looked up, the roof impossible to see through the mist,

"You didn't leave your room just to use the facilities, did you?" Gaara's voice was muffled through the wall. I didn't know what to say, no? but could I really say that? Could I really say that I left my room to find him and pick up where we left off? Of course I couldn't…

"No"

"Why then?"

"Because…" my heart pounded, should I tell him?

Could I tell him?

To be continued...

* * *

By Chenoan

©All original Naruto characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto


	4. Confessions

And that's number four in one day, I hope someone's reading this!

Please rate and comment, I will have the next chapter up as soon as possible.

- Chenoan

* * *

4. Confessions

-Recap-

"...You didn't leave your room just to use the facilities, did you?" Gaara's voice was muffled through the wall. I didn't know what to say, no? but could I really say that? Could I really say that I left my room to find him and pick up where we left off? Of course I couldn't…

"No"

"Why then?"

"Because…" my heart pounded, should I tell him?

could I tell him?

* * *

"Because I wanted to see you," my heart cried out for me to share more of the truth, to tell him that I wanted to kiss him, hold him, that I wanted to be with him. A tear rolled down my cheek, how had this happened, how had I fallen so hard, and so fast? For a boy that I had met not even one day ago, this was not natural, this was…terrifying.

My heart pound against my chest so hard I thought it would explode,

"Why would you?" his voice remained monotonous, but I could feel the emotion beneath that sentence, feel the hurt that I'd inflicted upon him. More tears fell from my eyes, I was scared of these feelings that had grown so strong, so fast, they frightened me more that any Shinobi ever could. I splashed my face with warm water, washing the tears away,

"I'm…I'm scared Gaara."

I heard movement, Gaara leaving the spring, the sound of water splashing,

"I'm sorry about last night," then silence. My heart throbbed painfully in my chest, what was he saying? The flow of tears grew stronger and I jumped out of the spring and raced to the hanger where the robe hung. Quickly, I threw it on, I tied it up as I ran to meet Gaara.

I slid open the door and saw Gaara, walking away, about to leave,

"Gaara…" I said, running up to him, he turned to look at me.

His eyes, they were sad.

I stopped in front of him, looking up into his eyes, I reached for his hand, he let me take it, but he didn't respond. Dropping his hand I took him in my arms and squeezed him, my tears still falling,

"I'm not scared of you, Gaara, I'm…I'm scared of my feelings, of everything that's happening," I gasped, my throat tightening, "I'm terrified of these strong feelings, I've only known you not even a day and I already find myself wanting to be with you, but, I'm scared of the strength of these feelings and what would become of me, should I act on them I'm scared of the consequences of these feelings, Gaara, not the strength of yours"

"I don't understand, what consequences?"

"to…involve myself with a Kage of another village is considered dishonourable in my village, it's like betraying my entire village for one man, and…I couldn't do that, I could be dismissed as a Chunin, as a Shinobi! I would bring shame upon my family, my team, my teachers, my friends and myself, I don't want to be responsible for that," I wiped away my tears and looked up, his eyes, they were…different, no longer did they see straight through me, it was as if they were look straight at me, looking straight into my eyes,

"Yuri.." he craned his neck and kissed me softly, my tears stopped, and it was as if everything had been fixed, everything seemed perfect for this split second in time, it was as if nothing could ruin this moment.

The door opened and there stood Kankuro, his face filled with shock, I pulled away and stared at him, fear growing inside of me. I should not be here, I should not be doing this. I took a step back. I should not be kissing this man, I should not be kissing this man that will ruin me. And another step back.

I stared at Kankuro, I stared at Gaara, the look on his face killed me. I froze, I would not run, I would not escape, even though this was a nightmare, this was my nightmare, and I had to see it through.

I faced Gaara, my eyes locked in his, I reached for his hand, it made me feel better, it was like a cure to the most painful of illnesses,

"Gaara, what the hell are you doing?"

"Nothing"

"That was not nothing! That was soft-core porn!" Gaara was silent, he looked at me,

"Kankuro, I'd appreciate it if you kept what you just saw quiet"

"Gaara…"

"What?"

"You can't just go around falling in love with people, you've got to be more cautious"

"What do you mean?"

"Your Kazekage now, people are watching, you are only hurting this girl, and yourself, if this gets out"

"How so?"

"People judge, it's often frowned upon for Kage's to become intimate with those from other villages, and considering the shaky bonds we have with Mokuzai we don't want to create any dislike between us, I mean, the peace treaty hasn't even made its way back to Mokuzai and you're already creating controversy," Gaara looked at me, his eyes full of confusion,

"I was never warned about this," My heart stopped, what did this mean?

"It's because we never thought this was an option"

"But nobody can stop me right?"

"No…but the consequences of such an act could be devastating"

"What are you talking about?"

"War, Gaara, War between both your villages," I froze, never had I contemplated such an option,

"War…?" I said

"The chance of war between two countries with an unstable alliance is very high when dealing in even matters as small as this."

My heart seemed to stop, there was no way we could continue now, nothing could make us choose each other over our village's wellbeing. Gaara looked at me, he seemed tense, I let go of his hand. I looked into his eyes,

"When does the sandstorm end?" my voice came out as nothing more than a whisper,

"Tomorrow, I assume…" he said it so unemotionally, like he was blocking everything out. My eyes began to water, and tears spilled onto my cheeks.

"It doesn't have to end now, Gaara"

"What are you on about, of course it does, didn't you hear him, it's the safety of our villages we're talking about"

"But it doesn't have to end _now_, Gaara…what I'm saying is…"

"Your making no sense…"

"Gaara, we still have one more day."

To be continued...

* * *

By Chenoan

©All original Naruto characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto


	5. Ultimately

I wasn't sure how to continue, and it was written pretty quickly, so keep these things in mind. I'd love suggestions.

Please rate and comment, I will have the next chapter up as soon as possible.

- Chenoan

* * *

5. Ultimately

-Recap-

"…When does the sandstorm end?" my voice came out as nothing more than a whisper,

"Tomorrow, I assume…" my eyes began to water, and tears spilled onto my cheeks.

"It doesn't have to end now, Gaara"

"What are you on about, of course it does, didn't you hear him, it's the safety of our villages we're talking about"

"But it doesn't have to end _now_, Gaara…what I'm saying is…"

"Your making no sense…"

"Gaara, we still have one more day."

* * *

Gaara looked at me, as though I were mad,

"What did you say?"

"…It doesn't have to end just yet," I said through tears, "I'm not leaving until tomorrow, so we could be together…even if it only means one more day"

"Yuri…" he looked at me with worried eyes,

"What is it?"

"Do you really want to do that to yourself?" I wiped my tears away, and stretched upwards. On my toes I kissed his lips and hugged him, I didn't want to let go, I knew that when I left I would fall to pieces, but what did it matter, if I left now I would fall to pieces, may as well get my moneys worth.

He wrapped his arms around me, I knew he hurt just as much as I did, and though this would only cause him tears in the end, if I had the chance to take it all back, I wouldn't, for Gaara had become my world. I hugged him tighter,

"Ahem," Kankuro cleared his throat with distinct purpose,

"Sorry," Gaara said, the door squeaked open, Gaara and I pulled apart with rapid speed. In walked Kaien and Ai, they're usually loud, cheery voices halted the moment they saw us, we stared at one another awkwardly,

"Um…" said Ai, her face full of confusion, eyes flickering between the three of us.

Kaien looked between me and Gaara in particular, his eyes full of suspicion, I wondered what he was thinking.

The hole in the wall…

Kaien must have been the only one looking in at us last night or Ai, and her curious mind, would have been looking at the pair of us with complete curiosity. My face, red from tears, must have looked normal in the heat. I wondered to myself just how long it had been since I left my room, two hours? Three?

I nodded to the pair and left the room a weak smile on my face, I knew I had Ai fooled, but Kaien was a completely different issue, I would have to speak with him later. As I left I could hear Gaara's footsteps behind me, Kankuro must have remained to bathe. A small smile lingered on my face, what would happen now?

I saw him overtake me, his satin robe loose on his body; my flannel robe must have looked hideous in comparison. He looked behind me, and our eyes met, he smiled, and then continued to look forward.

Then he was gone.

I stopped, eyes searching; then I felt someone grab my arm, with such incredible speed. I was pulled through a doorway, then I felt my back hit the inner side of the door gently, my lips connected to his, my mind still stuck in the hallway only one second before, and then the reality of the moment came bursting through my mind.

Reality…

That same reality that I feared so much…

Reality was horrible for me, whenever I thought of the reality near Gaara, it hurt, I would feel such sorrow, knowing the truth that our love would always remain unrequited, but now, the feeling was something so different, something beautiful, something pleasurable, this feeling was of complete euphoria.

I slipped my tongue into his mouth, the warm feeling beautiful as he matched my bold move. He broke away, pulling on my arm, leading me towards a large futon. My eyes took in our surroundings; the futon was the only thing in the room, surrounded by four solid brick walls. He lay me on the bed and climbed on top, his mouth reaching for my own once again. He ran his finger slowly down my body, untying the robe from around my waist, he fiddled with it for a second, I could feel his fingers slowly taking out the bow, my heart was beating so fast, everything around me was so clear, My heart grew even faster,

Thump…

Thump…

Thump…

- - - - - - - - - -

He rolled off me, his breath heavy, I let out a long sigh, my body tired; I looked at him. He was staring at me, a small smile spread on his face. I touched the side of his face, tucking a piece of his silky red hair behind his ear. I kissed his forehead where his tattoo resided, then I kissed his lips, they were so soft, he kissed me back, just as softly as I had, our lips sat there for some time, until sleep overtook our bodies. Our spirits were too tired after all it had taken to get to this point, after all the sadness our hearts had endured.

And tomorrow it would all return as I said goodbye to him for the very last time…

To be continued...

* * *

By Chenoan

©All original Naruto characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto

Note:

It is said that there is more excitement in an incomplete story, it allows you to wonder what occured, how it occured and such...and also I don't do sex scenes, they intimidate me Hoped you liked in nonetheless D


	6. Concerned

Did you think it was over? HA LIES, it's only just getting started and I'd just like to remind you, this Fanfic has just as much to do with Yuri's life as it does Gaara's, but he does show up a lot later, I might even do a Gaara P.O.V. chapter hmmmmmmmm, ok, I should stop thinking out loud, you guys might complain if I don't fufill these random thoughts of mine tell me if yous see any spelling errors or stuff because i'm a bit obsessive compulsive like that...what are you doing reading the Authors gibberish get reading the real stuff (;3)

Please rate and comment, I will have the next chapter up as soon as possible.

- Chenoan

* * *

6. Concerned

-Recap-

He rolled off me, his breath heavy, I let out a long sigh, my body tired; I looked at him. He was staring at me, a small smile spread on his face. I touched the side of his face, tucking a piece of his silky red hair behind his ear. I kissed his forehead where his tattoo resided, then I kissed his lips, they were so soft, he kissed me back, just as softly as I had, our lips sat there for some time, until sleep overtook our bodies. Our spirits were too tired after all it had taken to get to this point, after all the sadness our hearts had endured.

And tomorrow it would all return as I said goodbye to him for the very last time…

* * *

And One day had passed

The past twenty-four hours had passed with such unimaginable speed.

From the moment I awoke, to the moment I awoke in Gaara's arms had only felt like minutes. I hadn't cried, I had prepared myself for this moment; I was stronger than I was yesterday. I was as emotionally strong as I ever could be at this very moment.

At this very moment I was facing him, Gaara's eyes showed no emotion, he looked straight at me with those very same piercing eyes, the ones that had frightened me from the first moment our eyes met. I smiled at the memory of my embarrassing marching. I remembered Gaara's face, the tiny smirk, his eyes meeting my own from multiple stories above, I had felt so embarrassed, I had hoped to never meet him again.

And now I left here as his lover, well, ex-lover I suppose it should be. Kaien and Ai stood behind me in our usual triangle formation; I looked Gaara in the eye,

"Thank you for your generosity Kazekage, we will leave now with the peace treaty, we will tell our Mokuzaikage that you have been so kind to us during our stay," I bowed, my team following suit. Gaara smiled, finding my formality amusing, with that I turned around and left.

I was well aware of what I was doing, and I could feel my legs move as I walked, it hurt knowing what I was doing. I opened the door and went to walk out,

"Seeya," his voice was soft, it showed no hint of our relationship, but I knew who he had meant it for. He was saying goodbye, his voice, soft, was trying to hide the emotions behind those words, the thought of him sad pained me, I stopped in the doorway. A single tear rolled down my cheek. I looked forward; nobody could see my face, Kankuro grunted, his way of telling me to leave,

"Goodbye," My voice was unemotional, harsh; I couldn't make my voice the same kind of unemotional as him. It took all the strength I had to not look back and begin walking. I moved fast, I had to leave, and if I slowed down, I may very well stop and turn around, if I left then nothing could make me turn back.

We had left the building within ten minutes and the town itself within another five. The townspeople were cleaning up, sweeping the sand away from their stalls, beginning a new day, forgetting the passed few that had occurred, I sighed, if only it were that easy. We stood at the gates, they began to open, I looked down, my legs were no longer red and spotted, the effect from the early symptoms of the sandstorm had left, as had the last proof that I had spent the last three days in love with this village's Kazekage.

I walked through the gates, my heart ready to leave. Kaien and Ai were close behind me; I waved my hand, a signal that we would run at full speed. And then we were off.

The world around me seemed to fly past me.

But I suppose that was normal when running roughly at fifty kilometers an hour.

- - - - - - - - - -

It was getting dark; the moon was low in the sky, slowly climbing upwards with every passing minute. The stars began to twinkle as the sky grew darker, like the reflections of distant tears. All around me was the blur of green foliage, a familiar sight. This meant that we were nearing Mokuzai, just another days run and we should arrive.

Kaien and Ai had remained silent throughout the run, my mood effecting their own. We had been running roughly fifteen hours, maybe with one or so half hour breaks. We stopped in a closed in area surrounded by foliage, I sat down on the ground, exhausted,

"Hey, Kaien…wanna' walk?" Ai looked at Kaien seductively; I should have known this would happen, Kaien glared at her, finding her acts too apparent, Ai laughed, "She's not stupid y'know, Kai honey…" Kaien looked at me,

"She's right," I smiled,

"See," she said smugly,

"How long have you known?"

"A while," I replied

"Does this mean we can make-out in front of her now?"

"No," I said sternly,

"Why?"

"In fact," I said, anger growing, "I don't want you making out on missions at all or anything else for that matter,"I put my face in my hands, "If Sensei found out that I've been letting you two distract one another on our missions then he'd scold me for sure"

"But we did it all the time when he was leading missions," whined Ai, "he never suspected a thing"

"If I know do you seriously think Sensei won't?" Ai's eyes widened, the thought had never occurred to her,

"But…then-"

"The only reason he let you go off like you did was because he could back you up should anything come up, he was always nearby, I've seen him get up and follow you so many nights."

There was silence, my outburst at their relationship new to them, never had they seen me even slightly angry, even though right now you wouldn't call me angry, just overly frustrated. Kaien came and sat next to me, Ai was walking away,

"I'll be back in five," Ai left, seeing that I needed space, and that Kaien wanted some privacy.

I looked at Kaien, his face held a serious expression, caring yet concerned. He took my hand,

"What did he do to you Yuri?" he asked softly, his voice full of concern,

"Who?"

"I know you're not stupid, you saw the hole I made didn't you?"

"He didn't do anything, it ended there," My voice was resilient,

"Yuri..."

"He didn't do anything!" I became argumentative, he grabbed my arm

"Yuri, why are you lying, that first night, that moment in the springs, you both leaving together without Kankuro, You've been alone with him so many times and there have been so many opportunities, you cannot tell me otherwise"

"Yes I can"

"But can you tell me truthfully?" I looked up to see his face, our eyes meeting, could I really lie to Kaien about something so huge? Should I?

"Kaien, nothing happened, I swear"

"I wish that was true," I looked up into his saddened face, I can't remember the last time I had lied to Kaien, I wasn't sure whether I ever had, why had everything gone so wrong?

Our heads perked up, the sound of Ai's bloodcurdling scream shot us back into dreadful reality, the sounds of footsteps could be heard approaching along with a sobbing Ai,

"What's happening, Ai…what-" Kaien's voice was anxious, I stood up immediately arming myself,

"Get up you idiot, we're under attack."

To be continued...

* * *

By Chenoan

©All original Naruto characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto


	7. Bargain

Sorry I've been...absent, I've had so much homework but I'm back, hopefully for good (;D).

Please rate and comment, I will have the next chapter up as soon as possible.

* * *

7. Bargain

-Recap-

Our heads perked up, the sound of Ai's bloodcurdling scream shot us back into dreadful reality, the sounds of footsteps could be heard approaching along with a sobbing Ai,

"What's happening, Ai…what-" Kaien's voice was anxious, I stood up immediately arming myself,

"Get up you idiot, we're under attack."

* * *

Everything went silent.

Ai's sobbing was the only sound that remained.

I stood as still as I possibly could, Ai, was in danger, right now, her safety was our first priority. I slipped my tekko kagi onto my hands, my fingers twitched as the feeling of cold metal touched my fingers. I waited, I could hear Ai's sobs, Kaien was still sitting down, the shocking truth of Ai's capture too much for him to comprehend. I nudged him with my foot,

"Get up," I said in a deadly whisper, he got up, but he was in no condition to fight,

"What now?" he asked, dazed,

"We wait"

"But Ai-"

"We are in no position to make the first move," I snapped back, "now pull yourself together and get ready to fight."

Kaien nodded, he attempted to compose himself, though he was still shocked. He straightened up, ready for battle. There was a rustle from the trees and a character dressed in black appeared, his head protector was covered by his face mask, making his villages identity unidentifiable, two more followed, one held Ai. I saw one of them move, in a flash he was right next to me. I spun around and got him with my tekko kagi on his upper arm, the slash was light, but I had got him.

I turned to look at Kaien, the same man appeared next to him, he winded him, but hardly a lethal blow, they weren't going for the kill, Kaien toppled over. I bared my teeth in anger, if him and Ai hadn't been involved he wouldn't have been so nervous. I turned to them, Kaien was passed out and Ai was next to him sobbing, three against one, I thought to myself, I looked at the ninja I had cut before, he was clutching his wound tightly, I grinned, or two against one in a moment.

The ninja toppled over, the poison on the tips of my tekko kagi's blades taking him down. While they were momentarily occupied I jumped at them, weapon at the ready, I went for the leader, but he was too fast, He moved aside with amazing speed, he kneed me in the face, blood poured from my nose, he went for another hit but I dodged his blade. I jumped, as he went to kick me, all I could do now was dodge, he had the upper hand, I had to wait for an opening.

He went for a punch to the stomach in an attempt to wind me but I stepped aside, I sliced his side, he yelped in pain, he wouldn't feint from this cut, the blades poison had already been dulled by his companion's blood. I saw him swing around at me, the punch filled with anger, I was thrown meters away, my body landed on the ground with a thud, the other ninja stood on me, immobilising me with his weight, I wrenched in pain, blood dribbled out of my mouth, I felt his negative chakra flow through my body.

I tried to get back up, but the man was just too heavy, I felt my body stiffen, they had injected me with some kind of immobilising chakra. I growled, I was screwed, and so were my teammates, the men spoke

"You have two choices," he said, voice deep, "come quietly and let your friends go free, or I kill you and your friends right here," I was confused, they were giving me a choice?

"What…is…your purpose?" I asked, finding it hard to speak,

"That is none of your business, now make your decision," I clenched my teeth,

"Let them…go," I said hopelessly. I saw them walk away from the pair, Kaien was still passed out, Ai was crying over him, there was no help to be gained from these two. I was released from the jutsu, and allowed to stand. He looked at me, I saw his mask crease as he smiled,

"You're a pretty one aren't you?" he said malevolently, I glared back, he rested his palm against my hand, I felt the chakra pulse through and everything faded into black.

- - - - - - - - - -

I awoke, my mind hazy, everything around me was black, dark, was I dead? Was I locked in a dark room somewhere? I heard footsteps,

"She's awake," I heard someone say,

"About time," grunted the other. My surroundings began to sharpen, I was in a dark room, there were no windows, the only light available filtered through the cracks in the wooden walls. I could feel nothing at my side,

"Where's my bag?" I called to the voices,

"We gave them to your friends," replied the man,

"What happened to my team?"

"We let them go, they should be back in Mokuzai now," I sighed in relief, at least they were safe and the treaty would be delivered safely, I wondered vaguely to myself just what I was here for, why they had taken me and no one else, The questions spun around my head without end.

I heard footsteps approach, I looked up but it was hopeless, I could see nothing in this dark. I felt the person put cloth over my eyes and unbind my legs. I stood up and he pushed me forward,

"Where are you taking me?" I asked, my voice like poison,

"We need you help with something before we can do anything"

"Why should I help you?"

"Because, we have the upper hand"

"And just what difference does that make?" I growled, "who says I fear your consequences?" he didn't reply, I wasn't sure what he was thinking, but my mind was focused on walking up the stairs we had just encountered without mishap.

Light suddenly filtered through the blindfold as we reached flat ground once again, we stopped. The light around me began to dull as I heard curtains close, the man removed my blindfold. I was in a small brick room surrounded by the same ninja's I had seen before with black cloth hiding their forehead protectors. I could see their eyes staring at me through thin slits in their masks,

"What is it you want?"

"Our teammate," they said sternly, "he's dying," I looked at the man on the bed who I had failed to see before, I smiled.

It was the very same man I had defeated earlier with my poison tipped tekko kagi, he was writhing in pain, he no longer wore his uniform except for the mask, he was dressed in a robe,

"And why should I help you?" I spat, crossing my arms, I reached into my pockets, nothing, it was all gone, my tekko kagi, my poison, nothing remained, I suppressed a sigh. Here I was defenceless and constantly under threat and I was asking why I should help them,

"Isn't it obvious?" queried one in a calm voice, "you will die"

"And what use is my life when, as a prisoner, I am only a threat to my village"

"A fine response," I remained emotionless, "If your life isn't a bargaining tool, then what of the life of your favourite Kage?"

"What are you saying?" I growled, there were two possible people they could be speaking of, the Mokuzaikage or-

"Gaara of the Sand," I didn't move a muscle,

"I have met this person only once, he is nothing to me"

"So it wouldn't concern you should our spy within the Kage's should…exterminate him?"

"Of course it would," I said in a monotone, "he is the leader of an allied country"

"But not enough to follow our orders?"

"No," he grinned,

"Very well then," he motioned for a fellow ninja to approach him, "give orders to kills the Kazekage," I twitched, they were bluffing, definitely bluffing. The ninja began to walk towards a door, about to leave, I caught my breath, I couldn't take that chance,

"Fine!" I exclaimed, "it would do me no good to have an ally die for my stubbornness"

"We are aware he is more than an ally," grinned the man who had now clearly established himself as the leader. I sighed,

"Believe whatever you wish," I reached into my shoe, they all looked at me suspiciously and I pulled out a small vial from the inside of my boot. I pulled out a pin and dipped the pin into the clear liquid and stabbed it into the mans vein, I saw his wince. I pulled the pin out and closed the vial and returned it to my shoe,

"Give him an hour," I said without emotion, "He will return to his normal state," I felt them rebind my hands and blindfold me once more, they led me back down the stairs and rebound my feet, and I returned to the silence they had originally given me."

To be continued...

* * *

By Chenoan

©All original Naruto characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto


	8. Gaara

YAY GAARA POINT OF VIEW (;D)...turns out I wasn't just rambling (x3), but this basically some back story as to what's happening while Yuri's being all boring...yah, you try to write a story while the protagonist is tied up...not much to write.

Please rate and comment, I will have the next chapter up as soon as possible.

* * *

8. Gaara

I looked at the paperwork before me, there was so much! I began to draw on my arm, random stick figures and such, I shook my head, I couldn't afford to lose concentration, I was late enough on this paperwork. I took down the next sheet and read it carefully to myself,

"-Permission to take students of class 3B to the outskirts of Sunagakure…" I sighed again, did this really require the permission of a Kage? This would need one Chunin escort per five students, I told myself; I began to write on the paper rapidly and then placed it in the complete pile. I put the pen down and let my mind wander; I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth, oh, how my heart ached.

Where was Yuri now, did she feel as burdened by this broken heart as I did? Was she living peacefully in her village right now with some guy from her own class, much better suited for her? I shook my head, I would not let such poison seek into my mind, Yuri would never betray me that way, I sighed again, but how could you cheat on a relationship that had supposedly never happened? I looked at the pen that sat on the desk in front of me, willing it away.

There was a knock on the door, and I looked at it wondering whether I could just ignore it,

"Come in," I said, thinking better of it. Kankuro strode in with one of my assistants who held a piece of paper, Kankuro smiled politely at me,

"Hey Gaara," he said calmly, "The treaty made it to Mokuzai ok," I looked up, Yuri…

"That's…good," I said as I picked up my pen and moved on to the next form, a new bathing facility? Did we have enough for it? Kankuro stood in front of me uneasily, "Is that all?"

"Uh yeah," Kankuro went to walk away,

"Wait Kankuro," said the assistant,

"What is it?" I asked looking up, Kankuro grinned reassuringly,

"Nothing," I looked at the assistant, who held a frown,

"Aya, what aren't I being told?" her eyes widened,

"Oh! Um…well, they encountered a problem on their return trip"

"What kind of problem?" I asked, my voice had a slight edge to it,

"Its nothing-"

"Quiet, Kankuro," I said, irritated by his secrecy,

"Well, one of the ninja didn't return"

"Who?" I gripped the edges of the desk,

"The team's leader, you may remember her, Yuri?" I leaned into my chair and stared at the roof,

"Aya, could you please leave?" Aya looked shocked at my reaction and bowed and exited quickly.

I turned to Kankuro as I tried to mask my anger,

"Why were you hiding this?"

"I'm sorry, but knowing this would do you no good"

"You speak nonsense"

"You would immediately try and rescue her"

"And what is the harm in that?"

"Let Mokuzai handle their own"

"Mokuzai!?" I scoffed, "Mokuzai is renowned for their cold attitude towards their ninja, and their ninja are well known for choosing death when they are caught"

"But Gaara"

"We are allies now, what better to prove our alliance than to save their ninja"

"Please Gaara, don't put yourself through this, she's probably d-"

"She can't be"

"Mokuzai ninja are taught to kill themselves the moment they have been captured"

"She wouldn't"

"They are a very strict breed, the Mokuzai"

"Kankuro, why are you trying to stop me?"

"Because this can only end badly"

"That's only if we go about this badly"

"What do you mean?"

"Get me Temari"

"Why Temari?"

"Because she can be trusted"

"What about me?"

"You have shown continued dislike towards Yuri"

"It's not like I'd kill her or anything," I looked at him,

"I'm aware of that; I just can't trust you as much as Temari now"

"Fine," he sighed as he left the room. I realized that I was half standing in my anxiety, I fell back into my comfy seat, Yuri's wellbeing on my mind.

Would she really kill herself? I asked myself, I bit my lip, of course she wouldn't, she would live as long as she possibly could; she just didn't seem like the kind of woman to give up so easily. I pulled off another sheet of paper and threw myself back into work, hot water out in three houses, I sighed, hardly a Kage responsibility, I wrote that it be sent to plumbing. The door opened and in came a disgruntled Temari,

"What is it Gaara?" she grumbled,

"What's wrong with you?"

"You caught me in the middle of a bath"

"I see, I'm sorry," she sighed,

"Whatever, what is it you want?"

"I need you to track down a Mokuzai ninja caught while delivering the peace treaty"

"Was the treaty taken also?"

"No"

"Were we asked to?"

"No," she looked at me quizzically,

"Then why?"

"Because I believe it is something that needs to be done," I heard Kankuro mumble incoherently behind her

"You know, don't you Kankuro?" asked Temari looking at Kankuro, I glared at Kankuro, who smiled triumphantly,

"Gaara's got a little girlfriend"

"Really?" said Temari unbelievingly,

"She's not my girlfriend," I replied reverting to my emotionless state, I pulled down another sheet of paper,

"I'll do it," I looked up and met her gaze, "I want to meet this girl"

"She's not my girlfriend," I mumbled, Temari laughed,

"Whatever," then she was serious, "when do I set out?"

"Now, preferably," she nodded and left the room.

To be continued...

* * *

By Chenoan

©All original Naruto characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto


	9. Conclusion

Ok, I lied, not as soon as possible, I was just lazy, but, anyway, the final chapter is here, ENJOY!

Please rate and comment, I will have the next chapter up as soon as possible.

- Chenoan

* * *

9. Conclusion

Death, I thought to myself, how dreadful that it should become such a preferable option. I rested my head against the brick wall as I thought, there was no way out of this situation, I told myself, they had just asked for information on my village and I was sore from paying the penalty for disallowing them that information. Of course I had known something like this would happen from the very beginning, it was inevitable that they would put me in this position.

Every inch of my body seemed to be bleeding and bruised, three hours of pure torture and now they had left me to think about my options, they had told me that this treatment would continue or I could spare them information and they would be merciful, I smiled wryly, there was no mercy no matter what path I chose. So here I was now contemplating the often unthinkable final option, the option that Mokuzai ninja are taught from such an early age…suicide.

Mokuzai ninja were taught to kill themselves should they be captured, it was our only option and I had held out for so long refusing to accept it, but now it truly was my only option. It was torture, betrayal or death, and I could face only one of those, and it was sadly the most tragic one. If I managed to survive my village would never accept me, they would only shun me for my lack of devotion to Mokuzai, a Mokuzai ninja either came back successfully or not at all, and it was too late for me to return without the treatment of an enemy.

I ran my sharpest tooth along my tongue and felt it stab into it with ease, I winced. One hard bite down on my tongue and it would all end, I would bleed to death right under the enemies' noses and they would hate that they had lost a source so easily. I smiled at the idea, regretting healing that man from earlier, how much more convenient it would have been to have let him writhe. But this death wasn't without honor, if anything this was a very honorable way to go, dying for the wellbeing of my country and my comrades, this would be my last gift to them, to Ai, to Kaien, to my father and maybe, just maybe, I could be reunited with her…my mother, in death all scores would be settled.

My thoughts wondered to Gaara and what my death would do to him, how devastating it would be, how easy it would be for me…death, such a simple answer to all my problems, such a depressing answer for those I care for. Kaien probably already expected this, Ai too, my father also, though he probably wouldn't take my passing too horribly but Sensei would be disappointed, I sighed, how sad how few people there were that would mourn me, but Gaara…I smiled to myself, a silent prayer on my lips; maybe he would never find out.

I closed my eyes as I sat my tongue between my teeth, ready for my final act. Why was I so scared? I kept asking myself, you would not have hesitated a week ago, I sighed; maybe Gaara had made me soft, maybe such raw emotion was too much for me. I took in a deep breath and my teeth began to close with irrational speed,

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," came a high reprimanding voice, I stopped, narrowly procrastinating my end, and looked up, there stood one of the men and I bit my lip sheepishly, I was screwed now. The man walked down the stairs as he grinned.

As the man approached I faintly saw the figures silhouette, I was confused as the persons shape became more focused, this was a woman, not a man…

Almost numbly I felt the rope that bound me cut, I could hear the rope as it fell to the floor with a low, silent thud. I looked up; I couldn't see the woman's face, her face as covered as the rest of the men's. I remained silent, uncertainty overtaking me, I had no clue as to whose side this woman was on, mine, theirs or a new one completely, but at the moment she was helping me to escape, and that was all that mattered.

But did I really _want_ to escape?

What would be left for me if I returned? Hate, disrespect, disgust? Of course, not even my own brother would welcome me, I would be too scandalized to associate with…my life was already over, I couldn't have Gaara, I can't have my village, nothing is left for me

"Why?" I asked long after she had spoken, my mind working slow. The woman ripped off her mask; it was a face I didn't recognise. The woman crouched down beside me, a soft smile on her face,

"Because there's an ignorant little Kage back home who would fall apart if you died"

"Gaara!" I heard her giggle and I turned away, blushing heavily,

"look what that man has done to me," I said, standing up, "I'm blushing, I have no control over my emotions, he's totally destroyed my discipline"

"...and?" she said, I could sense the smile on her face.

And Nothing.

There was nothing more to say, as much as I hated this new side of me it was proof, it was proof of who I was now, of who I loved. Then reality creashed my party.

"What am I supposed to do now?"

"Live"

"For what? A man I cannot have, a city that rejects my existence?"

"No, for a man who no longer cares"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Gaara doesn't care anymore?" I looked at her in disbelief,

"What…"

"He sees now that being with you is enough to shield any harsh words the world could say about you, all he wants is you to be with him"

"But...he's a"

"Give it up," she snapped, "so what, he's you're Sunagakure now," I could feel the tears spilling down my cheeks.

He wants to be with me.

We reunited; my heart was heavy with mixed emotions, uncertainty, disbelief, happiness and joy but all that was stripped away the moment he held me in his arms, the moment his lips connected with my head. He comforted me, none had ever done that for me before, no one, but here Gaara was, going against all I knew. There he was.

_My_ Gaara.

The End.

* * *

By Chenoan

©All original Naruto characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto


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